Machine for making filament-supports for incandescent lamps



c. EISLER. MACHINE FOR MAKING FILAMENT SUPPORTS FOR INCANDESCENT LAMPS.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. I2, I915.

Patented Apr. 27, 1920.

1 4 $HEETSSHEET 1- @AMMWMM I c. EISLER. MACHINE FOR MAKING FILAMENT SIJPPORTS FOR INCANDESCENT LAMPS.

, APPLICATION FILED NOV-12,1915. 1 338A99.

Patented Apr. 27,1920.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

z-mvzu'ron a manua C. EISLER.

MACHINE FOR MAKING FILAMENT SUPPORTS FOR INCANDESEENT LAMPS.

APPLICATION FILED MOV.12, 1915.

1,338,499. muted Apr- 27,1920.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

WITNESSES INVENTOR ATTORNEY c. EISLER. MACHINE FOR MAKING FILAMENT SUPPORTS FOR INCANDESCENTLAMPS.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 12, I915.

Patented Apr. 27

4 SHEETS-SHEET 4.

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\ INVENTQR S E S S E N W W ATTORNEY 'rEn CHARLES EISLER, OFBLOOIVIFIELD, NE'W JERSEY ASSIGNQB T 'WES'lING'HOU3E liiliMP COMPANY, .43. GQBPGRATION OF PENNSYLVANIA.

MACHINE FOR MAKING FILAItlElBIT-SUIPQRTS llhlfillilll' lilfiflldltl'll To all whom it may concern Be it known that 1, CHARLES Eisnnn, a citizen of the United States. and a resident of Bloomfield, in the county of Essex and State of New Jersey, have invented a ne\' and useful Improvement in Machines for Making filament-Supports for Incandescent Lamps, of which the following is a specification. -My invention relates to machines for forming filament-sup}mrting arbors for incandescent electric lamps, and it has for its object to provide a machine oi the character indicated which shall be simple 'in con struction and substantially automatic in operation, and which shall be capable of pro ducing large numbers of finished articles with a minimum amount of labor and attention.

More specifi ally, the object of my invention is to provide a machine for automatically and continuously forming incandescent lamp arbors of the type having two or more enlargements or buttons, and to equip such machines with certain. new and improved operating: meclnlnisms, as will hereinafter more fully appear.

In the accompanyimg (lrawings, Figurc 1 lamp arbors are formed by the machine. and Figs. 6 and Tare elevational news showing details oi the apparatus shown. in Fig. 5.

The present machine consists essentially ofan intermittently rotated drum mounted upon a horizontal axis and provided with axial peripheral slots which are adapted to receive short lengths of rod. Therods, in the several slots, are carried, in a step-bystep movement, into contact with gas flames,

- in order to heat the rods locally, and they-are then brought into engagement with. reciprocating plungers which apply longitudinal pressure to the rods and thus form thickened portions or buttons thereon. Means are also provided for feeding the short rods 52 to the machine, for removing the finished ar- Specification of Letters Patent.

Yatented Apr. at, 1926*.

Application filed; November 12, 193.5. Serial No. 61,093.

Referring now to Figs. 1, 2 and oi the drawing, standards 1'and 22, connected by.

cross beams 3 and 42, form a frame which supports bearings 5 for a horizontal main shaft (5, on one end of which is loosely mounted a sprocket wheel Tfor transmitting power to the shaft 6 from any convenient. source. (not shown). carries a fixed clutch member 8 cooperating with a movable clutch member 9 which is slidably' keyed to the shaft 6 and is biased to its disconnected position by means of a con1- pression spring 10. A clutch-shifting lever 11 is provided for forcing the clutch member 9 into engagement with the clutch memher 8 to cause the shaft 6 to rotate with the sprocket wheel 7. I

Between the bearings 5, the shaft 6 carries a cam 12, two sprocket wheels 13 and 14; and a cam plate 15, all these parts being rigidly secured to the shaft 6. Loosely supportedupon ball bearings 16 between the sprocket wheel 1st and the cam plate 15, is a drum composed of a series of disks or wheels 1?. l8 and 19, the disk 17 and 18 being bolted to a flanged sleeve 20, and the disk 19 being bolted. to a second sleeve 21 which is concentric. with the sleeve 20 and slidably at tached thereto by means of pa s 22. This arrangement permits of theadjustr'hent of the drum toihandling glass rods of many different lengths. Each of the disks 17, 18 and i9 provided with peripheral flanges 23 and 24 which are transversely slotted at intervals. giving the disl s the appearance of fine-toothed cear wheels. The slots in the several disks should be disposed opposite to one another and each set of adjacent slots forms a. receptacle for receiving a glass rod and for carrying: it-through the several operations to which it is subject d.

For imparting a step-hy-step rotative movement to the drumformed by the disks 1?, 18 and 19, a ring25, provided with both external and internal ratchet teeth, is at tached to oneside of the disk 17 bywnans of screws 26, and the external ratchet teeth are engaged by a pawl fl carried by a lever 28 which is pivotallyi'nounted upon a pin 29 that is adjnstably secured in a vertical slot 29 in the frame of the machine. The end of the lever 28 opposite to the pawl 27 carries a roller 30, which is pressed into The sprocket wheel 7- of the engagement with the cam 12 by means of a spring 31 surrounding the stud 29 and engaging the lever 28. The cam 12 is pro vided with four teeth or projections which successively engage the roller and oscillate the lever 28 above its pivot. It will be evident that, when the main driving shaft 6 is rotated in a clockwise direction, as seen in Fig. 1, the disks 17, 18 and 19 will be r0- tated in unison in a counterclockwise direction. The vertical adjustment of the pivot pin 29 in the slot 29 permits the use of pawl levers having arms of different relative lengths, whereby the distance advanced by the toothed drum at each stroke of the pawl may readily be varied. The internal ratchet teeth formed on the ring 25 are engaged. by a holding pawl 27 which is pivoted to the'standard 2 and is oscillated by means of a lever 28 carrying a roller 50 which engages the cam 12. The holding pawl 27 accentuates the position of the drum at each interruption of its movement and prevents the drum from advancing while the button-forming operations are being performed.

A bracket is carried by the standard 1 at the right of Fig. 1 and supports a standard 36 upon which is mounted a feeding hopper 37 for receiving glass rods 38 cut to the required length. As the toothed drum is moved in a counter-clockwise direction, one of the glass rods is received in each of the transverse slots and, if two rods should be taken up in a single slot, the extra rod would be held back by means of a set of adjustable fingers 39 which are carried by a horizontal rod 40 supported on the standard 36. An inclined chute 41 is mounted adjacent to the toethed 'drum 1, being carried by supports 42 and 43 that are adjustably mounted on a bracket 44 attached to the frame of the machine. The chute 41 receives the finished arbors from the drum and delivers them to a receptacle (not shown) During'their passage from the feeding hopper 87 to the chute 41, the glass rods are constantly rotated in the slots of the drum by means of a scricsof endless steel bands 45. one of which is provided for each disks that compose the tootheddrum. The bands 45 correspond in width to the space between the peripheral flanges 23 and 24 of each disk and are driven by means of two sets of positively rotzited driving rollers 46 and 47 disposed at opposite ends of the machine, as shown in Fig. 1. The driving rollers 46 are mounted upon a shaft 48 carried. by a bearing bracket 4!).secured to the frame of the machine. The shaft 48 also carries a sj'n'ocket wheel 50 which is driven by means of a chain 51 from the sprocket wheel 14 that is attacl'ied, as stated above, to the shaft 6. The driving rollers 47 are mounted upon a shaft 52 carried in a bearand 47 are driven in at the left of Fig,

- alinement therewith,

ing 53 formed in the bracket 35. The shaft 5 also carries a sprocket wheel 54 which is driven by means of a chain 55 from the sprocket wheel 13 secured to the shaft 6. It will be observed that both sets of rollers 46 and 47 are positively driven in unison, by means of the sprocket wheels and chains just described, an arrangement which insures that every part of the belts shall be driven at uniform speed without slackening or binding. Both of the sets of rollers 46 a clockwise direction, as seen in Fig. 1, and the bands 45, after leaving the rollers 47, pass between tension rollers 56 and 57, around guide rollers 58 and around the upper portion of the toothed drum to the rollers 46, where the direction of the bands is reversed and they again pass over the top of the toothed drum and return to the rollers 47. If one of the bands 45 should break, it could readily be replaced without dismantling the machine, and this is a feature of advantage over prior ma chines of this general character.

It will be observed that each glass rod, as it is carried around the top of the drum, is inclosed between the upper and lower runs of the bands 45, the tension of the hands be ing so adjusted that the rods are caused to rotate in their several slots. The tension of the bands 45 is maintained and adjusted by means of three sets of rollers 60, 61 and 62, the rollers being carried in suitable forks attached to rods 63 which are slidably mounted in a support 64 carried by a vertical post 65 attached to the bracket 49. The rollers- 61 i by a post 71 attached to a bracket 72 bolted to the standard 1 of the machine frame. All of the rollers 60, 61 and 62' may be provide('l- Wi'th springs-73 for increasing the pressure? with which they bear' upon the bands45, and the rollers omitted, if desired.

For maintaining therods in proper positions in the slots in the toothed drum, the

61 or 62 be feeding hopper is provided with a side extension 80 which serves as a gage for corresponding ends of the rods, hile a similar gage 81 is adjustably carried by a rod 82 supported upon a post 83 carried by the bracket 72. Immediately adjacent to the guide evte sion 80 of the hopper 37, and in is an anvil plate 84 carriedv by a rod 85 that is supported in a bracket 86 secured to the machine frame. An arm 87 of the bracket 86 carries a rod 88 which is attached to the guide extension 80 and serves as a support therefor.

Disposed opposite to-th'e anvil 84 and beyond the end of the guide 81 are two recip rocating hammers or plungers 94 and 95, the

reciprocated toward the anvil 8i, press Construction of which will be hereinafter more fully described. These pluiigers, when against the ends of the glass rods which are,

at that moment, presented to them and which have been locally heated to soften the glass sufficiently to enable it to expand under the longitudinal pressure and to thereby 'ztorn'i enlargements or buttons in the rods.

For thepurposeof locally heating the rods, two gas burners 90 and 91 are provided, these gas burners being stationarily mounted adjacent to the rotating toothed dish-s which carrythe rods, as shown in Fig. 2, and being supplied with gas through suitable tubes 92 and 93, respectively. The burners 90 and 91. are preferably mounted upon adjustable supports 89 in. order that their relative positions may be varied as desired. The rods, in their progress upon the toothed drum, first encounter the flame of the burner 90, which softens a portion of each rod near one end. A button is then formed by the pres sure of one of the plungers. By means of a.

burner 91, the rod is then heated at its end opposite to the button already "formed, and

the heated end is finally flattened by means of a second plunger, the first button having meanwhile cooled and become solid.

The hammers or plunge rs 94 and 95 which accomplish the foregoing results are similar in construction and are best shown in Fig. 4. The two plungers are mounted u'por arms 96 and 97 of the bracket each these arms being provided with albeai'ing 98 within which is slidably mounted a tubular member 99 which is secured for recipro- *ation in the bearing 98 by means oi a key 100. The rear end of the tubular member 99 is reduced in internal diameter to i'e'ceivei the screw threaded end of a plunger iiieinbei' 101 which carries, at its opposite end. a hardened steel tip 102. The forward portion of the member 101 is enlarged to-substantially the internal diameter of the tubular member 99 and is slidably secured in the member 99 by means of a key 103. A compression spring 104 is confined between the enlarged portion of the member 10L and the inner end of the member 99 for the purpose, of maintaining the plunger member 101 in the position shown, which position may be varied by means of a micrometer screw 105 and a lock nut 106.

The tubular member 99, near its forward end. is provided with pins 0 screws 108 which extend horizontally trim opposite sides of the collar 107 and are engaged by the bifurcated arms of a fork 100 that is carried by the upper end of a lever 110. Thelever 110 is pivotally mounted upon a bracket 111 and is biased to the position shown by means of aspring1112. The lever 110, at its lower end, carries a roller 113 which cojiperates with cam projections 114;

that are secured to the sides of a cam plate 15 which, as stated above, is secured to the shaft 6 for rotation therewith. It will be evident that the plunger will be reciprocated intermittently by means of the cam projec tions lll and that, if the plunger encounters a resistance greater than the toi'ce with which the spring 10l presses the plunger forwardly, the plungei' \vill be permitted to yield to such resistance, the member 101, in such *ase, being permitted to slide within the movable member 99. .t will be observed that the length to which the member 101 extends t'rom the tubular member 99 may be readily and accurately varied by means of the micrometer screw 105, thus permitting the machine to operate upon many difi erent lengths of rods. The micrometer adjustment may be made without interrupting the operation of the machine.

When. it is desired to form very large buttons upon the glass rods, the plungers or hammers are provided with means for applying preliminary pressures to the ends of the rods. Such auxiliary pressing devices are illustrated in Figs. 5, 6 and 7. The plunger member 101, associated with *the hammer 94 carries, at 'ts forward end, a laterally extending bracket member 130 which is removably clamped to the plunger 101 by means of a screw 131 and is provided with a screwthreaded aperture 132 adapted to'receive an adjusting screw 144). One end of the screw 140 is provided with a knurled head 14:1, and the other end of the screw engages the flexible free end of the gage member 81. i'orward movement of the plunger 94c, the

'end of the screw 140 will ress the a c member 81 into contact with several of the rods which have been locally heated by the gas flame 90 and that such pressure will operate to forma preliminary enlargement in each of the rods so engaged. The effect of this preliminary pressure is that, when the plunger itself finally presses against the end of each rod, the final button which it forms will lie-larger than when no preliminary press iyeis applied. 1

For a purpose similar to that just described, the plunger 95 is provided with a laterally extending bracket 133 which is clamped to the plunger member 101 by means of a screw 13 ;tand is provided With an aperture 135 to receive a short rod 136. The rod 136 is adjustably secured withrelation to the bracket 133 by means of a. set screw. 137and carries a plate 138, the working face of which is formed in a series oi progressively ofi'set flat surfaces. By this arrangement, the softened end of each rod is given four slight impacts as it advances It will be observed that at each In order to control the movement of the toot-lied drum, and particularly to prevent the drum from moving backwardly in the.

intervals between the successive impulses applied by the pawl 27, a brake is provided, which, in the form shown, consists of one ormore bands or chains 115, which are sccured .at one end to the: cross beam at of the machine frame, extend beneath the drum and in contact therewith, and are secured, at their opposite ends, to a rod 117. The rod 117 extends through an opening in a cross beam of the machine frame and'is screw-threaded to receive a wing-nut 119 which varies the compression of a spring 120 surrounding the rod 117. By the arrangement shown, the tension of the bands 115 may be readily varied in accordance with the requirements of the machine.

As the toothed drum and the endless bands 45 move. adjacent to the gas filaments 90 and 91, they become heated to a considerable degree, and cooling means are therefore provided for both the drum and traveling bands. As shown, the rollers 47 are partly inclosed within a semi-cylindrt cal casing 121, which may be supplied with water or other cooling liquid, but which I prefer to connect to a source of compressed air, the supply of which is regulated by means of a valve 122- A blast of air is also supplied to the lower side of the toothed drum, conveniently through a pipe 123 extending axially beneath the drum and suplied with air through a tube 12-l controlled y a valve 125. I

The general-operation of the machine may 4 be best explained by reference to Fig. 5,

which shows, diagrammatically, the progress through the machine of a series of glass rods. Each rod 38 is first received from the i hopper 3-7 in one of the sets of corresponding slots in the disks 17, 18 and .1S) and is intermittently carried by the drum in its step-by-step movement, the distance traversed by each slot, and, consequently, by each rod, at each movement of the machine being equal to the distance between two ad jacent slots. As it advances, the rod is first heated locally by means of the burner 90, being constantly rotated by means of the bands 45, and, when the rod is opposite to the plunger or hammer 94, the plunger presses the hammer against the rod and thus forms the first enlargement or button. The rod continues to rotate, thus insuring that the button shall be substantially circular, and is carried to the burner 91, the interval between the two burners being sufficient to enable the first button to cool and harden before the second button is formed. The end of the rod, is softened sufficiently to be flattened by the hammer 95, and, still rotating, it proceeds to the chute 4-.1, through which it falls into a suitable receptacle.

them in the feeding It is to be noted that the hammers 94 and-95 reciprocate in unison and perform their working stroke while the toothed drum is at rest. The gas flames are preferably so'adjusted with respect to the plunger that each button, after being formed, is caused to rotate for a short time in the flame, This insures that the button shall be circular, and also serves to anneal the glass, which 'is crystallized somewhat in the button-forming operation.

The machine which I have shown and described is capable of making many thou-- sands of lamp arbors-per day and requires the attention of only one operator who cuts the rods into the re uired length, places opper and removes the finished arbors delivered by the machine. By reason of the numerous adjustments that may be made in the machine, many different sizes of arbors may be manufactured there- By suitably varying the longitudinal positions of the hammers or plungers, the

buttons formed on the arbors may be of 1 any desired size, from a slight enlargement of the rod to a large flat button. One of the plungers may be entirely withdrawn from its operative position, thus producing arbors each having only one button which may be either the end button or the intermediate button, as desired.

While I have illustrated embodimentof my invention, it is to be the preferred understood that many structural changes may be effected therein, and it is therefore to be understood that my' inventionis to be limited only by the scope of the appended claims. i

I claim as my invention:

1 In a machine-for forming arbors for incandescent electric lamps, means for successively advancing a series of arber'blanks, means for continuously rotating said blanks during a portion of their advancement, means for heating the rotating blanks locally, and means for applying successive pressures longitudinally to the said heated blanks during the heating thereof, whereby a uniform enlargement is formed on each of the said blanks.

2. In a machine for forming arbors for incandescent electric lamps, means for successively advancing a series of arbor blanks, means for continuously rotating the said blanks during aportion of their advancement, means for positively alining said blanks relative to.each other, means for heating the rotating blanks locally and means for applying successive pressures longitudinally to the saidtheated blanks during the heating thereof, whereby a predetermined enlargement uniformly positioned is madeon' each of the said blanks.

3. In a machine for forming arbors for incandescent electric lamps, means for sucioo no i

cessively advancing a series of arbor blanks,

means for continuously rotating the said til) blanks during a-portion of their advancement, means for positively alining the said blanks relative to each other, means for equentially heating the blanks locally at a plurality of par-ts thereof, and means for applying successive pressures longitudinally to the said heated blanks during each of the sequential beatings thereof, whereby a plurality of uniformly positioned enlargements are formed on each oi the'said blanks.

4:. In a machine'for forming arbors for electric lamps, means'for successively advancing a series of arbor blanks, means for heating the blanks locally, and means for applying a preliminary longitudinal pres sure and a final longitudinal pressure to the said blanks.

5. in a machine for forming arbors for electric lamps, meanslor' successively advancing a seriesof arbor blanks, means comprising a plurality of simultaneously reciprocating plungers for forming a plurality of enlargements in the said blanks, and means for applying preliminary pressure to said blanks, two sets of driving rollers for the said plungers- 6. in a machine for forming arbor-s for incandescent electric lamps, a rotatable carrier for successively advancing arbor blanks, endless bands engaging the carrier for rotating the blanks thereon, two sets of driving rollers for the saidbands disposed on opposite sides of the said carrier, and means for positively rotating both of the salt sets of driving-rollers.

, 7. In a machine for forming arbors for incandescent electric lamps, a frame, a shaft mounted in the frame and supporting a rotatable carrier for successively advanc ing a series of arbor blanks, two sprocket Wheels mounted on the said shaft, endless bands for imparting rotary movement to the s id blanks, two sets of driving rollers for tne said bands disposed on opposit'. sides of the said carrier, sprocket wheel associated with each of the said sets of driving rollers, and a s )rocket hain connecting each of the said r0 er sproyket wheels With one of the said sprocket W reels on the said shaft.

8. ln a macl 'ne for forming arbors for incandescent e ectric lamps, a rotatable carrier for successively advancing arbor blanks, and endless bands driven by rollers and engaging the said carrier for rotating the blanks thereon, each of the said bands being arranged to have opposing surfaces adapted to frictionally engage the said blanks therebetween.

9. ln a machine for forming arbors for candescent electric lamps, a rotatable carier for successively advancing arbor blanks, and endless ids'drivcn by rollers and en aging the .l carrier for rotating the blanks thereon, each of said bands being arranged to have opposin surfaces adapted to travel in opposite directions.

10. In a machine for forming arbors for incandescent electric lamps. a rotatable carrier for successively advancing arbor blanks,

.endless bands driven by rollers and engaging the said carrier for rotating the blanks thereon, and means for applying cooling currents of air to the said carrier and the said bands, the said means comprising a casing partly inclosing one or" the said banddriving rollers, a perforated pipe extending axially beneath the said carrier, and means for supplying air under pressure to the said casing and to the said perforated pipe.

11. In a'machine for forming arbors for incandescent electric lamps, a rotatable car rier for successively advancing a series of arbor blanks, endless bands engaging the carrier for rotating the blanks thereon, rollers for maintaining the said bands under tension and spring-pressed rolls bearing upon the said bands for maintaining the said bands in close engagement with the said arbors.

12. In a machine for forming arbors for incandescent electric lamps, means for successively advancing a series of arbor blanks,

means for forming enlargements or buttons on the said blanks, and means for varying the size and number oi such enlargements or buttons, said last mentioned means including devices suitable to apply successive pressures longitudinally to the heated blanks during each of the sequential beatings thereof. i

13. In a machine for forming arbors for incandescent electric lamps, means for successively advancing a series of arbor blanks past a stationary anvil member, means for rotating the said blanksaround their central axes during their advance, a plunger cooperating with the said stationary anvil member for forming an enlargement in each of the said blanks.

14. in a machine for forming an enlar ement upon cylindrical glass objects, a ro tatable carrier for successively advancin a series of Work blanks, and cooperative means for continuously rotating a plhra 'lity of the advancing work blanks during aportion of their travel, said means comprising opposing surfaces adapted to move in'opposite directions and. frictionally engage the blanks fed'therebetween, whereby the said blanks are positively rotated when so en-' gaged.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto subscribe my name this 25th day of Oct., 1915.

ur ates isner.

Correction in Letters Patent No. 1,338,499.

It is hereby certified hat in Letters Patent No. 1,338,499, granted April 27, 1920,

upon the application OfCharles Eisler, of Bloomfield, New J ersey, for an inlprovek ment in Machines for Making Filament-Supports for Incandescent Lamps, an error appears in the primed specification requiring correction as follows: Page 5, line 27, claim 5, for the Words two sets of driving rollers for read before they are e'rtgaged b z {and that the said Letters Patent should be read with this correction therein. that the same may conform to the record of the case in the Patent Oflice.

Signed and sealed this 6th day oi July, A. D., 1920. I

MLH. GOULSTON,

Acting Commissioner of Patents 

